Library printing fee unlikely to cease

Dan Kampner Arizona Daily Wildcat Paul Sypherd, UA provost, gestures and speaks about printing charges at the UA Main Library at the ASUA meeting last night while Dean of Libraries Carla Stoffle and ASUA President Tara Taylor look on. Sypherd and Stoffle supported the 7 cents per page fee for use of the printers.

Beginning in August, University of Arizona students and Tucson community members who use library printers have had to pay a printing fee of 7 cents per black-and-white page.

Associated Students officers and senators met with Stoffle and Sypherd to discuss ways to ax the copy fee. Stoffle, however, said such a solution is not technologically feasible.

"It's not something we can do right now," she said. "We do have to find a solution where we would charge students less than the public."

There is not enough money to support free printing because library pocketbooks are stretched to the max, Sypherd said.

"We are all in an era where we expect people to pay for what they get," he said. "If everything were free, the cost would be $100,000 a year."

If the provost's office donated $20,000, Stoffle said she could reduce printing costs to 5 cents per black-and-white page.

"We're not making money (on this fee)," she said. "If we end up having a surplus, we'll lower the fee. I don't like charging students more than we have to."

ASUA President Tara Taylor said although she isn't pushing to kill the fee, she doesn't believe students should have to pay.

"I don't see any justification for why we should be paying as much as others (non-UA students)," she said.

Stoffle said she is working to find a way to lower the fee and identify non-UA students, but a solution is "a good year away."

Sen. JosuŽeacute; Lim—n said he was upset that nothing was decided last night.

"I feel it was stated to us that using computers was a luxury," Lim—n said. "If that's a luxury, what else is a luxury to the administration?"

Executive Vice President Cisco Aguilar said such a fee is setting a precedent for future student fees. Aguilar said he plans to discuss the issue with UA President Peter Likins at tomorrow's Senate meeting.

Erin Mahoney can be reached via e-mail at Erin.Mahoney@wildcat.arizona.edu.